A rolling element circuit describes the closed path travelled by the balls (rolling elements) in a ball screw or a similar linear system.
During movement, the balls roll between the spindle and the threaded nut within the load range, absorbing forces in the process, and are then guided back to their starting point by a return system (axial or radial deflection). The cycle then begins again.
The rolling element circuit of a ball screw nut consists of two main sections: the lead section (load-bearing zone) and the return section.
In the load-bearing zone, the rolling elements transmit the axial forces from the spindle to the nut and vice versa. The number of revolutions the balls make around the spindle in the lead section is referred to as the nut’s lead.
In the return path, the balls are unloaded and are simply returned to the load-bearing zone. The deflection guides the balls from the end of the load-bearing zone into the return path and from there back into the load-bearing zone.
